Acts 15:36-16:12

Good News Translation

Paul and Barnabas Separate

³⁶ Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in every town where we preached the word of the Lord, and let us find out how they are getting along.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them, ^38 (A)but Paul did not think it was right to take him, because he had not stayed with them to the end of their mission, but had turned back and left them in Pamphylia. ³⁹ There was a sharp argument, and they separated: Barnabas took Mark and sailed off for Cyprus, ⁴⁰ while Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the care of the Lord's grace. ⁴¹ He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Timothy Goes with Paul and Silas

16 Paul traveled on to Derbe and Lystra, where a Christian named Timothy lived. His mother, who was also a Christian, was Jewish, but his father was a Greek. ² All the believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy. ³ Paul wanted to take Timothy along with him, so he circumcised him. He did so because all the Jews who lived in those places knew that Timothy's father was Greek. ⁴ As they went through the towns, they delivered to the believers the rules decided upon by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, and they told them to obey those rules. ⁵ So the churches were made stronger in the faith and grew in numbers every day.

In Troas: Paul's Vision

⁶ They traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit did not let them preach the message in the province of Asia. ⁷ When they reached the border of Mysia, they tried to go into the province of Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. ⁸ So they traveled right on through^[a] Mysia and went to Troas. ⁹ That night Paul had a vision in which he saw a Macedonian standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” ¹⁰ As soon as Paul had this vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, because we decided that God had called us to preach the Good News to the people there.

In Philippi: the Conversion of Lydia

¹¹ We left by ship from Troas and sailed straight across to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis. ¹² From there we went inland to Philippi, a city of the first district of Macedonia;^[b] it is also a Roman colony. We spent several days there.